Growing food for growing bodies

Monday

Jul 8, 2013 at 12:01 AM

When future restaurateur and executive chef Louis Anaya looks back on his recent experience 15 or 20 years from now, perhaps he will recall what it was like to pick his first peach fresh off the tree, learn how to cut and prepare it properly, then serve it up in a tasty peach tamale with nectarine salsa.

Joe Goldeen

When future restaurateur and executive chef Louis Anaya looks back on his recent experience 15 or 20 years from now, perhaps he will recall what it was like to pick his first peach fresh off the tree, learn how to cut and prepare it properly, then serve it up in a tasty peach tamale with nectarine salsa.

For Anaya, 13, every new experience with food and cooking is a treat. Anaya is determined to run his own restaurant some day (he's even designed a logo using his initials, "LA"). He was one of a dozen kids between 6 and 13 who participated in a unique summer cooking class, a new program organized by Stockton-based nonprofit Charterhouse for Families and sponsored by Health Plan of San Joaquin, Kaiser Permanente, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Safeway.

Even though Stockton is surrounded by arguably the richest agricultural bounty in the world, many local children have little or no access to area farms and can't tell you where their food comes from. Charterhouse's "Kids Can Cook: Farm to Table Cooking" classes aim to change that for as many children as they can reach.

"Obesity is a serious problem in Stockton, even among families in rural areas. Some kids won't eat a broiled chicken breast. We wanted to expose them to simple, healthy food, using local food products," said Mikey Kamienski, executive director of Charterhouse.

"We want to teach people the difference between fast food and healthy quick food - whatever it takes to get these kids to eat healthier," Kamienski said.

In one afternoon, the kids and their chaperones met up a few miles east of Stockton on Waterloo Road at The Fruit Bowl, considered to be the oldest continuously operating fruit stand in San Joaquin County.

Co-owners Ralph and Denene Lucchetti welcomed the children and explained that Ralph's parents started the fruit stand/bakery/restaurant 66 years ago by throwing up a table along the side of the highway and selling their peaches. Today, especially during the prime summer harvest months, 80 percent of The Fruit Bowl's produce comes from its surrounding 35-acre farm.

Ralph Lucchetti then led his guests on a short tour of the farm, talking about his bounty: 55 varieties of peaches, 15 varieties of nectarines, plums, apricots, pluots, cherries, walnuts, green beans, tomatoes, 12 varieties of squash, herbs including basil, sage, oregano, thyme, mint, and so much more.

He showed them the various types of watering systems he uses, including drip irrigation and microjet sprinklers, explained the importance of properly pruning his trees, the problems farmers have with pesky gophers, and quizzed them on the difference between a cling and a freestone peach.

"We pick the nicest stuff to sell at the fruit stand. We pick just what we need for the day," Lucchetti said.

Then the kids were let loose on the orchard to pick some peaches for use at their next stop, Alebrijes Mexican Bistro at 10 W. Oak St. in Lodi.

There they learned from owner and executive chef Ruben Larrazolo - this year's recipient of the San Joaquin County Public Health Services Award for contributing toward improving the health of the community - some basic cooking and food-preparation techniques, with the emphasis on healthy and fresh.

"You need to teach them properly. It's important for them to know how to utilize the tools," Larrazolo said before bringing out several large, sharp kitchen knives and going over safety tips with the future chefs.

In addition to the lessons they learned, the children were presented with their own chef's hats, aprons and cooking utensils to take home. More "Kids Can Cook" classes are scheduled for Tuesday and July 15. Contact Charterhouse at (209) 476-1831 for information.

Just in time for the end-of-the-year holidays, Charterhouse plans on publishing a cookbook focusing on healthy, quick recipes that all members of the family can enjoy.